Austria’s right-wing government plans to shut down seven mosques and
expel up to 40 imams in what it said was "just the beginning" of a
push against Islamist ideology and foreign funding of religious groups, Reuters
reports.

The coalition government, an alliance of conservatives and the far
right, came to power soon after Europe’s migration crisis on promises to
prevent another influx and clamp down on benefits for new immigrants and
refugees.

In a previous job as minister in charge of integration, Chancellor
Sebastian Kurz oversaw the passing of a tough "law on Islam" in 2015,
which banned foreign funding of religious groups and created a duty for Muslim
societies to have "a positive fundamental view towards (Austria’s) state
and society".

"Political Islam’s parallel societies and radicalizing tendencies
have no place in our country," Kurz told a news conference outlining the
government’s decisions, which were based on that law.

Austria, a country of 8.8 million people, has roughly 600,000 Muslim
inhabitants, most of whom are Turkish or have families of Turkish origin.

One society that runs a mosque in Vienna and is influenced by the "Grey
Wolves" would be shut down for operating illegally, the government said in
a statement.

An Arab Muslim group that runs at least six mosques would also be
shut down, it added.

"This is just the beginning," far-right Vice Chancellor
Heinz-Christian Strache told the news conference held by four cabinet members.

World Cities

All rights reserved. No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the editorial office. Commercial use and distribution of the contents of the website is not allowed without express and prior written consent of the editorial office. The views expressed are solely the ones of the authors. Editorial office bears no responsibility for placed advertisement.